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A former member of the Houston Astros who played with the team during their 2017 championship season toldThe Athleticin a new interview that the franchise used a camera to steal signs — and the allegation has now prompted an investigation.
For instance, if a team figures out that the opposing catcher is calling for a fastball when he raises two fingers to his pitcher, their hitter can benefit from knowing what pitch is coming. According toESPN, stealing signs isn’t prohibited in the MLB but it is seen as bad etiquette.
What is illegal, however, is using electronic equipment to steal signs — and that is what former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers alleges the team did in 2017.
Fiers, who is now with the Oakland Athletics, told The Athletic that Houston used a hidden video feed to observe opponents’ pitching signs.
Alex TrautwigMLB Photos via Getty Images
After the report was released,one Twitter user found footagefrom a game that seems to match up with Fiers’ claims, and loud bangs can be heard while an Astros hitter is up at-bat.
“That’s not playing the game the right way,” Fiers told The Athletic. “They were advanced and willing to go above and beyond to win.”
While the report says that the Astros did not use the tactic during away games, and couldn’t implement it in their 2017 World Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a Reddit user found a potential example from Game 5 of an audible whistle being used while an Astros player was at bat.
“I just want the game to be cleaned up a little bit because there are guys who are losing their jobs because they’re going in there not knowing,” Fiers said. “Young guys getting hit around in the first couple of innings starting a game, and then they get sent down. It’s [B.S.] on that end. It’s ruining jobs for younger guys.”
“The guys who know are more prepared,” he continued. “But most people don’t. That’s why I told my team. We had a lot of young guys with Detroit [in 2018] trying to make a name and establish themselves. I wanted to help them out and say, ‘Hey, this stuff really does go on. Just be prepared.'”
This isn’t the first time a team has been caught using technology to get a real-time advantage during games. The Boston Red Sox, the 2018 World Series champions, were caught using anApple Watchto steal signs during the 2017 season.
Fans waving rally towels prior to Game 2 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos/Getty
“It’s an issue that permeates through the whole league,” an anonymous major league manager told The Athletic. “The league has done a very poor job of policing or discouraging it.”
source: people.com
